Anytime
by sue-sylvester-shuffle
Summary: Bolin is sick of Mako taking advantage of Korra's memory loss and treating her like the break up never happened. The earthbender tells Korra what really happened, but begins to regret it when the Avatar state kicks in. AU, mid-Book 2. Slight Bolin/Korra.


**AN: I hate to be that one person who writes an Author's Note, so I'm sorry. But I just have to say that I wrote this before I had finished Book 2, so it's sort of an AU, if Bolin had told Korra about the break up as opposed to Mako as it happened in the season finale. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic- I'm on Book 3 of Korra now and I'm loving it! Bolin and Korra are my OTP. Without further ado, here's the fic:**

"Bolin!" cried Korra excitedly as she dashed down the hallway of the Air Temple. Her wet boots squelched over the floor, leaving long trails of muddy tracks. The young Avatar's dark hair flew around her face as she ran. "Bolin! Hey, where are you? Bolin!"

Just then, the earthbender, oblivious as always, walked out of one of the adjoining rooms. Korra yelled his name once more, and he looked up, startled.

"Oh… hey, Korra." said Bolin, his voice as dull as the rocks he bent.

"Bolin, there you are! You gotta come outside, it just rained and there's this _giant _mud puddle we can jump around in. Look," She gestured down to her feet. Mud was staining her legs all the way up to her knees. "It's so big!"

For a fleeting moment, his celery-green eyes filled up with joy, and exhilaration matched only by the fire in Korra's own eyes. But as soon as the emotion had come, it was gone. "Sorry, I'm just not in the mood for jumping around in mud puddles right now."

Korra's eyes followed suit; the happiness captured in them vanished, replaced by hurt and a smattering of anger. "What's up with you, Bolin? You seem… different somehow."

"I'm just fine."

"You've been acting weird for a few days now." continued Korra. "_Something _has to be wrong. The Bolin I know and love would've dropped everything to come jump in the mud with me."

She had barely gotten her last word out when Bolin started his fiery reply, his words fast and angry. "But you don't love me, do you? It's Mako you love."

Korra put her hands on her hips, cocking her head slightly to the side. "You _can't _still be upset about when Mako and I first kissed, can you? That was, like, a million years ago. I thought you were fine with it."

"I _am _still upset over that, but I _was _fine with it." Bolin corrected her stubbornly. "It's just… seeing you two kiss again, a few days back… it was just…" He took a deep, shaking breath, his large hands curled into fists. "…hard."

She raised one eyebrow. "Bolin, Mako and I are dating. We have been for a while. You should just get used to seeing us kiss, 'cause you're gonna have to see it-"

"You haven't been dating for a while!" the earthbender blurted out. "Mako was _lying._"

Korra opened her mouth, and then closed it again. There were a few painstaking moments where they just stood there, hearts pounding brashly in unison, and then she broke the silence. "What did you just say?"

"Mako lied to you, Korra." continued Bolin. "You know how he said you two had a fight, but it wasn't bad? It _was _bad. You two _broke up. _He lied to you. And… I know that Mako's my brother, and I shouldn't be telling you this, but… I'm just so _mad…_"

"Mako lied to me?" Korra repeated, her voice quiet and trembling with barely controlled fury.

Bolin nodded. However, his eyes were full of guilt. "I shouldn't have told you that… I… It's just… I really like you, and it just didn't seem _fair _to you… he was taking advantage of you… and…"

She wasn't replying, or interjecting into his heartfelt speech. That seemed uncharacteristic for the spirited, rambunctious Avatar, so Bolin raised his gaze from her muddy feet, back up to her face. What he saw horrified him.

Korra stared back at him, but the turquoise eyes he loved so much were gone. Her eyes were glowing pure white, her lips curling into a snarl. _The Avatar state,_ thought Bolin to himself. As he looked up at her, aghast, her feet left the ground, tendrils of wind beginning to swirl around her.

"Korra, no!" shouted the earthbender, grabbing her around the waist and trying desperately to pull her back down to the ground. "Stop it! Please!"

For a few moments, it looked like it was working, but then she sped forward, her feet leaving the ground. Bolin fell backward, still managing to keep his grip on her waist. His back scraped painfully against the ground, his shirt riding up as it was dragged. "Korra!" he screamed again. "Korra, you need to-" He was cut off as his head bumped against the ground. Pain stabbed through him, and he almost let go. However, he managed to keep holding on, even as she flew up so high that he was nowhere near the ground. The earthbender drew in a ragged breath. His head was throbbing, and now he was suspended far off of the ground, holding onto a girl who, in this state, could not be reasoned with.

Despite their differences, Bolin began to worry about Mako.

"Korra!" Bolin yelled again, desperately trying one last time. "You don't want to do this! I know what he's done hurts you, but please don't do anything you'll regret!"

Still, the Avatar didn't say anything. Bolin leaned his head forward, closing his eyes. He and Mako were both visiting the Air Temple for a few days, so it wouldn't be long until Korra found the firebender.

"Korra? Bolin? What's going on?"

The second Bolin heard his brother's confused voice from somewhere below him, a wave of panic overcame him. "Korra!" he pleaded softly, looking up at her. She didn't look back. Instead, she swerved roughly downward. Mako gasped; undoubtedly he'd seen her eyes and recognized that she was in the Avatar state.

A burst of powerful fire flew down toward Mako. Bolin could feel the heat of it fly by him. Looking around, he saw that Korra was near the ground now. He decided to take a chance.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Mako yelled, just as Bolin shifted his weight to press Korra toward the ground. They landed with a thud, but before Bolin could even stop holding his breath, Korra let loose with a gust of wind that sent him flying off of her. He landed ten or fifteen feet away, and his breath left him on impact. Gasping, Bolin scrambled to his feet, as Korra advanced on Mako, who still looked confused.

"Korra, what are you doing?" Mako asked, raising his hands, ready to firebend. "What's wrong with you!?"

Still, she didn't speak. She raised her hands toward Mako, but before either of them could do anything, Bolin ran over and shoved Mako out of the way.

"Bolin, don't!" shouted the firebender. Korra snarled at him, baring her teeth in a way that was almost animalistic. Right now, he wasn't Bolin, the lovable earthbender who she could laugh for hours with. No, he was just someone who was stopping her from getting to her target.

She caused a large piece of rock to erupt from the ground somewhere behind her, and fly at Bolin. He tried his hardest to bend it away from him, but he was no match against the Avatar, especially not in the Avatar state. The rock hit him, and he was slammed up against the side of the building. He gave a sharp cry of pain.

"Bolin!" yelled Mako.

As soon as Bolin's scream reached Korra's ears, the rock vanished down into the ground. The glow left Korra's eyes, and she dropped down to the ground, landing cleanly on her feet. At the same time, Bolin slumped to the ground, grimacing. Korra saw him and gasped, her turquoise eyes widening.

"Bolin!" cried Korra, rushing over to him and dropping to her knees. "Oh… oh no… Bolin, I… I didn't…"

"It's… It's okay, K-Korra…" stammered Bolin. "It wasn't… wasn't your fault…"

"That's complete bull, Bolin." interjected Mako angrily, storming over to the two benders and leaning over them. "Korra, what the _hell _was that!? You just went _crazy _and tried to kill us_. _Why were you even in the Avatar state? What happened?"

"Mako-" began Korra shakily, but Bolin cut her off.

"Mako, you l-lied to Korra." he said. "Y-You two broke up and you _lied _to her."

"You _told _her that?" gasped the firebender.

"I deserved to know!" exploded Korra.

"But it wasn't _your _place to tell her!" Mako told his brother furiously.

"You weren't g-going to tell her!" Bolin retorted.

"I was. I was just waiting for the right time!"

"Which was _never_!" hissed Korra. "Face it, Mako, you were taking advantage of me. Get out of here. I don't want to look at your stupid, lying face any longer."

Mako scowled. "Korra, you're making a huge mistake."

"Mako, I swear." Her voice was tame, but pulsing with barely controlled anger. Both brothers could hear it. "If you don't get out of here _now, _I'm gonna make you."

The firebender let out a loud huff, and stormed off. Korra and Bolin watched him leave, and then the Avatar looked back down to Bolin. "Bolin, I… I'm so, so sorry." Her turquoise eyes were back, and now they were full of sorrow and regret.

"It… It's okay, Korra. It's not l-like I'm going to die or anything. It just hurts."

"Okay." Her tense muscles relaxed a bit. Just then, her face lit up. "…Oh, wait! I can heal you!" She carefully opened his shirt, which made him blush, and then she turned to a nearby pool and bent a steady stream of water through the air and over to her hands. It started to glow with healing properties. "Where does it hurt?" she asked.

Bolin gestured to his ribs. Korra laid her hands there, and the water's glow brightened. The earthbender sighed in relief, closing his eyes.

"Better?" she asked, gently moving her hands around the tender area.

"Much better, thanks, Korra."

The Avatar smiled. "Good. Again, Bolin, I'm really sorry. I was just really mad… and shocked… and hurt. I guess my emotions just sort of took over, and the Avatar state kicked in. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know." replied Bolin. "So are you and Mako broken up again now?"

"Yes. For good."

Bolin nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. This didn't escape Korra's notice. She smirked, and kissed him on the forehead.

"So, there's still that mud puddle…" she said. "Are you in the mood _now?_"

His cheeks were dusted with pink, and he replied with a goofy grin. "I'm always in the mood for you, Korra."

Korra grinned, and stood up, letting the water dissolve and soak into the grassy ground. She offered Bolin her hand, and he used it to pull himself back up to his feet.

"Thanks again for telling me, Bolin." Korra told him. "You're a real friend."

There was so much more that Bolin wanted to be than a friend to her- he loved her and he wanted to hold her and kiss her and laugh with her. But right now, 'a real friend' was just enough. No, it was perfect.

"Anytime." was all he said.

end


End file.
